Water Shoe

ABSTRACT

An improved water shoe is herein disclosed. The water shoe system comprises a body having a front region, a middle region, and a rear region. The water shoe system also comprises a cavity on the rear region. The middle region connects the front region and the rear region. The front region comprises a plurality of individual toe covers. Each of the toe covers comprises a toe orifice. The cavity configured accessible to a foot.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to an improved system and method for water shoefor recreational activities.

Water activities such as swimming, sailing, and other water-basedrecreation are being enjoyed by most people around the world. Generally,during these times flip-flops are being used. However, flip-flops arenot purposely designed to be used for these activities since it does nothave enough traction and can even cause slippage. Also this footwear isusually taken off and can easily slip off from a user's foot when usedin water areas. Moreover, flip flops do not provide proper protectionfor places such as water parks. Water shoes can be a good alternative,but this kind of footwear can be heavy because of the rubber soles.Additionally, although water shoes are designed to be worn in a wetenvironment, their primary purpose is to protect the foot from cuts andabrasions in water from shells, glass, rocks or sharp floors. Thus,water shoes are not devised to keep the foot dry and do not provideproper support for strenuous water activities. Furthermore, water shoescan limit foot's mobility and flexibility that can oftentimes causediscomfort. As such, it would be useful to have an improved system andmethod for wearing footwear for water recreational activities.

SUMMARY

An improved water shoe is herein disclosed. The water shoe systemcomprises a body having a front region, a middle region, and a rearregion. The water shoe system also comprises a cavity on the rearregion. The middle region connects the front region and the rear region.The front region comprises a plurality of individual toe covers. Each ofthe toe covers comprises a toe orifice. The cavity configured accessibleto a foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a foot wearing a water shoe.

FIG. 2 illustrates the arches and parts of a foot comprising atransverse arch, a lateral arch, and a medial arch.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a water shoe.

FIG. 4A illustrates a top view of a water shoe wherein a middle regioncomprises an opening.

FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of a water shoe wherein a middle regioncan partially expose the instep of a foot.

FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of a water shoe.

FIG. 6 illustrates the bottom view of a water shoe worn on foot.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of a water shoe comprising anouter sole and an inner sole.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a water shoe with a strap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An improved system and method for wearing footwear for waterrecreational activities is disclosed herein. The following descriptionis presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use theinvention as claimed and is provided in the context of the particularexamples discussed below, variations of which will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art. In the interest of clarity, not allfeatures of an actual implementation are described in thisspecification. It will be appreciated that in the development of anysuch actual implementation (as in any development project), designdecisions must be made to achieve the designers' specific goals (e.g.,compliance with system- and business-related constraints), and thatthese goals will vary from one implementation to another. It will alsobe appreciated that such development effort might be complex andtime-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking forthose of ordinary skill in the field of the appropriate art having thebenefit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claims appended hereto arenot intended to be limited by the disclosed embodiments, but are to beaccorded their widest scope consistent with the principles and featuresdisclosed herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates a foot 100 wearing a water shoe 101. Water shoes 101can be a type of foot wear worn on foot 100 to provide protection andprevent the user from slipping in water-based recreation places such aswater parks. Water shoes 101 can be made of light and water resistantmaterials that include but are not limited to waterproof treatedfabrics, plastics, rubber, and/or net. For purposes of this disclosure asynthetic rubber such as neoprene, hypalon, and or butyl rubber can be amaterial used for water shoe 101, however this is non-limiting. Neopreneis popularly used for wetsuits because of its soft texture, goodinsulation, and great elasticity. Therefore, neoprene can provideversatility, flexibility, breathability, and durability to water shoes101. Moreover, due to neoprene's elasticity, water shoes 101 can providea better contour that can match the shape of foot 100. Aside from thecomfort that water shoes 101 can provide, water shoes 101 can alsomaintain a temperature range that can serve as insulation against cold.Additionally, using flexible material such as neoprene on water shoes101 can allow unrestricted movement to foot 100.

Water shoes 101 can comprise a body 102. Body 102 can be the basestructure of water shoes 101 covering foot 100. Body 102 can be dividedinto three sections, which is a front region 103, a middle region 104,and a rear region 105. Front region 103 can be the portion of watershoes 101 that wraps the toe of foot 100. As such, it can be the sectionof body 102 that extends from the toes up to the ball of foot 100.Middle region 104 can be the part of water shoes 101 that encloses theinstep of foot 100. Thus, middle region 104 can terminate at the ankleof foot 100. Rear region 105 can be the portion of water shoes 101 thatcovers the ankle up to the heel of foot 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates the arches and parts of foot 100 comprising atransverse arch 201, a lateral arch 202, and a medial arch 203.Transverse arch 201 is the curve made at the base of foot 100 that spansbetween the big toe and small toe. Lateral arch 202 is the curve madebetween the big toe and the heel of foot 100. Medial arch 203 is thecurve that goes from small toe up to the heel of foot 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of water shoe 101. Front region 103 cancomprise one or more orifices 301 that allow toes of foot 100 to beexposed. Orifices 301 can be any opening made at one end of front region103. In one embodiment, front region 103 can comprise a plurality oforifices 301. In this embodiment, orifices 301 can have an opening foreach toe. As such, a portion of each toe can be partially enclosed by atoe cover 302 that prevents the toes from rubbing against each other.Additionally, toe covers 302 can aid in protecting the in-betweensections of the toes from microbial and fungal infections.

In this embodiment, the materials used for front region 103 can beextended covering the neck portion of the toes. As such, the mid-portionof the toes up to the tip of the toes can be exposed. This featureprovides most protection and comfort to user. Additionally, toe covers302 can alleviate extruding between toes. Moreover, toe covers 302 canpromote better blood circulation of foot 100. Toe covers 302 providescomfort to toes while ensuring that water shoes 101 stay in place and donot roll towards the heel of foot 100. Thus, the toes can be securelywrapped and snug in a foot-like glove to give maximum non-slippage ofinterior of foot 100. In this embodiment, front region 103 can allowwater retained within water shoes 101 to be drained through orifices301. Moreover, having toe cover 302 in water shoes 101 can prevent thetoes from wrinkling and allow toes to breath and move freely thusproviding comfort to the user. Furthermore, front region 103 can becontoured to snugly foot the toes and the transverse arch 201 of foot100.

Each toe of foot 100 can be secured through toe covers 302 thus, givingequal force for all toes when weight of foot 100 is in forward motionstabilizing the whole foot 100. Furthermore, toe covers 302 can keepfoot 100 at rest and can resist the changes of motion of foot 100. Theforce of foot 100 in motion when hit on the surface of ground slows theinterior of foot slippage. Toe covers 302 could cause discomfort to thesensitive skin in between the toes when all the weight of foot 100 isrelying on a single toe strap or straps in between each toe. As anexample scenario, if a wearer were surfing, the force of foot 100 wouldmostly be in forward motion due to a wearer's body weight. If toe covers302 or one toe cover 302 is used the straps would cause irritation tothe sensitive skin in between the toes. The skin of foot 100 can be muchsofter and more susceptible to cuts and laceration when foot 100 issubmerged on water for extended period. Furthermore, the break in theskin is a common area where bacteria can harbor. Therefore, this breakin skin can lead to irritation, blisters, peeling of the skin andpossibly infection. To prevent this, the toes can be individuallywrapped by toe covers 302 that make use of a foot like glove material.The material used can give cushion between the toes and preventirritation in between the toes to prevent breaks in the skin.

Further, various types of engravings or other design materials can bedecorated along the toe portion of front region 103. As such, differentpatterns such as peace sign, aquatic animal, brandings, and/or logos canbe sewn along the toe portion of water shoes 101. Moreover,embellishments such as jewelries can also be embedded onto water shoes101. The logo or brand can be of a company having nothing to do with themanufacture, distribution, and/or sale of the water shoes. Hence, watershoes 101 can be used as an effective form of advertisement for itemsother than the water shoes. Such advertising can be words, pictures, ora combination of both.

FIG. 4A illustrates a top view of water shoe 101 wherein middle region104 comprises an opening 401. Opening 401 can expose the instep of foot100. In one embodiment, can be approximately the width of the middlethree toes, and can extend predominantly from the back of the foot dothe middle of middle region. Middle region 104 in this embodiment, canbe a border that holds front region 103 and rear region 105 together.

FIG. 4B illustrates a top view of water shoe 101 wherein middle region104 can partially expose the instep of foot 100. In such embodiment,opening 401 can comprise a patch 402. Patch 402 can comprise a net,and/or cargo-like fabric material that can lessen water absorption ascompared to a hole, can help foot 100 breath and dry. Middle region 104can partially cover the instep of foot 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates a back view of water shoe 101. Rear region 105 cancomprise a cavity 500. Cavity 500 can be an accessible hole for foot 100positioned at the rear of water shoes 101. Cavity 500 can be the openingwherein foot 100 can be inserted. In one embodiment, rear region 105 cancover the heel of foot 100. As such, rear region 105 can enclosed thebase of the heel and the coverage can extend just below the balls of theankle. In another embodiment, rear region 105 can extend up to the ankleof foot 100. As such, rear region 105 can be wrapped around foot 100covering inner and outer balls of the ankle. This embodiment providesextended support for the ankles of foot 100.

FIG. 6 illustrates the bottom view of water shoe 101 worn on foot 100.Water shoes 101 can be configured to contour the arches of foot 100.Consequently, the bottom portion of foot 100 can be enclosed withelastic materials such as spandex that is designed to snugly wrap theshape of foot 100. In one embodiment, the bottom section of water shoes101 can have exposed portions. In this embodiment, water shoes 101 cancover transverse arch 201, lateral arch 202, and medial arch 203 leavingthe base center of foot 100 exposed. In another embodiment, the bottomsection of water shoes 101 can completely cover the base of foot 100.Further, the bottom surface of water shoes 101 can be made of anti-slipmaterial or traction pad to allow better grip on the ground, in oneembodiment. In another embodiment, bottom surface of water shoes 101 canbe configured and functions like a suction pad that uses the pressure ofair or water to adhere to any flat surfaces. Such embodiments canprevent slippage and allow better control when moving foot 100. Thus,water shoes 101 can be used to ensure safety of the user and prevent anyaccident or injuries caused by slipping.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of water shoe 101 comprisingan outer sole 701 and an inner sole 702. Outer sole 701 can be theexterior portion of water shoes 101. Outer sole 701 can be the part ofwater shoes 101 that have a direct contact to the environment and/or theground. Inner sole 701 can be the interior of water shoes 101. Innersole 702 can be the portion of water shoes 101 where foot 100 rests thushas a direct contact with the skin. Inner sole 702 can comprise anantimicrobial and anti-fungal material that can inhibit the growth ofbacteria and fungus on inner sole 702. Therefore, inner sole 702 can aidin keeping foot 100 feeling fresh. Moreover, antimicrobial andanti-fungal material can aid in long lasting protection from odorcausing bacteria and fungus. In one embodiment water shoes 101 cancomprise of both outer sole 701 and inner sole 702. This embodiment canprovide added protection and support for foot 100. Moreover, in suchembodiment, inner sole 702 can provide additional cushion to foot 100.In another embodiment, water shoes 101 can only comprise of outer sole701. This embodiment ensures that water shoes 101 can be light aspossible. Water shoes 101 for this embodiment, can be intended to beused simple and basic water recreational activities such as swimming.

Further, outer sole 701 and inner sole 702 can use combination ofdurable and waterproof materials that can include but are not limited tonylon fibers, polyester fibers, and elastic spandex fibers. Moreover,materials used for water shoes 101 can consist of porous material suchas carbon rubber, gel rubber, and spider rubber that can provide betterventilation for foot 100 and allow water shoes 101 to dry quickly. Theelasticity of materials used for water shoes 101 can provide the neededtension for water shoes 101 to snugly wrap the contours of foot 100.Additionally, such materials allow the molding to terrain and foot 100thus allowing foot 100 to be most even to the ground. Therefore, optimalcoordination and balance can be achieved.

Embodiments mentioned are designed to allow user to feel as barefoot aspossible but still providing the needed support and protection for foot100. As such, water shoes 101 can use thin soles to allow flexibility offoot 100 and allow foot 100 to spread evenly on the ground. Moreover,water shoes 101 can follow the contours of transverse arch 201, lateralarch 202, and medial arch 203 to provide comfort for the user. Theminimal material used in the mentioned embodiments can lessen waterretention in water shoes 101. Additionally, such design can preventwater shoes 101 from absorbing water that can cause heaviness on thematerial. Moreover, the materials used can allow foot 100 to breathe andprevents the foot from wrinkling.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of water shoe 101 with a strap 801. Insuch embodiment, strap 801 can be placed between middle region 104, andrear region 105. As such, strap 801 can be wrapped and tightened aroundthe ankle of foot 100. Fastening device such as zippers, buttons, andhook and loop fasteners can be used to lock or securely wrap strap 801around the ankle of foot 100. Furthermore, fastening devices can be usedto adjust and tighten the hold of water shoes 101 on foot 100. Strap 801can be made of durable and water resistant material such as hypalonnylon. Thus, strap 801 can have a strong resistance to atmosphericconditions and temperature.

Various changes in the details of the illustrated operational methodsare possible without departing from the scope of the following claims.Some embodiments may combine the activities described herein as beingseparate steps. Similarly, one or more of the described steps may beomitted, depending upon the specific operational environment the methodis being implemented in. It is to be understood that the abovedescription is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Forexample, the above-described embodiments may be used in combination witheach other. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill inthe art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the inventionshould, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims,along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims areentitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which”are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms“comprising” and “wherein.”

1. A water shoe system comprising a body having a front region, a middleregion, and a rear region, said middle region connects said front regionand said rear region, said front region comprising a plurality ofindividual toe covers, each of said toe covers comprising a toe orifice;a cavity on said rear region, said cavity configured accessible to afoot;
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said front region extends from aplurality of toes to a ball of said foot, said middle region extendsacross an instep, said rear region extends from an ankle to a heel ofsaid foot.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said middle region anopening, said opening exposes said instep of said foot.
 4. The system ofclaim 3 wherein said opening comprises a patch.
 5. The system of claim 5wherein said patch is a net.
 6. The system of claim 3 wherein saidorifice is approximately the width of the three inner toe covers.
 7. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein said rear region comprises a strap.
 8. Thesystem of claim 8 wherein said strap comprises hypalon.
 9. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said body further comprising an inner sole; and an outersole that surrounds said inner sole.
 10. The system of claim 13 whereinsaid outer sole comprises a waterproof material
 11. The system of claim13 wherein said outer sole comprises a porous material.
 12. The systemof claim 13 wherein said outer sole is a synthetic rubber.
 13. Thesystem of claim 10 wherein said inner sole comprises a stretchablematerial.
 14. The system of claim 10 wherein said inner sole comprisesan antimicrobial material.
 15. The system of claim 10 wherein said innersole comprises an anti-fungal material.